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Science Buzz is supported by the National Science Foundation.
Copyright © Science Museum of Minnesota, 2004-2022, except where noted.
"Explian"??? Do you mean explain??? Sorry, I just had to do this. Anyway, I think it should depend on the age of the teen. A 16+ voting age seems reasonable, and most (not all, just most) people I know above the age of 16 are intelligent, knowledgeable, and rational enough to vote rationally and maturely. Many people above the age of 18 are unintelligent and immature and pick a poor choice.
you are correct to a certain extent, but people above the age of 18 and older like myself, are more knowledable you are committing an ad hominem attack and you probably arent mature enough to even know what that means!
Hmm. I'm not sure that it's possible for someone to commit an ad hominem fallacy against an anonymous, multiple choice question.
I think Jack was just saying that there are both plenty of people who aren't legally old enough to vote, but can make knowledgeable, rational decisions, and plenty of folks who are old enough to vote, but occasionally seem incapable of making that kind of decision.
Why clutter their brains with that sort of talk. Don't you know they are taking Hannah Montana off the air. These kids have bigger things to worry about without the burden of having to vote.
seriously?! we dont watch things like that... we're not childish,, so stop stereotyping us , thanks. Most of us 16 year olds are responsible enough to vote. if you say we are childish fine, but whe i look at some 18 years olds they are just as bad.... At 16, you are legal for smoking, having sex, and buying lottery tickets so why is there a problem with us voting .. thanks :)
Sorry, dude—you actually can't legally smoke or gamble when you're 16.
I guess you could vote to change that... oh... wait.
please,being 18 makes everything so much better right ? oh just because youre 18 gambling and smoking makes it right ? uh i think not ! alot of people who are voting that are over 18 barely know 3/4 of what is going on in the politics.They may be 16 but theyre the generation that spend the most time on the television , computers which is where most of all the information is ,and they are mostly always the first ones to know , not mentioning everything they learn in school about todays politics.They are also only two years under the legal age , wow that makes one hell of a hudge difference. They spend their young lives seeing the news ,seeing what adults consider before voting , how the world works and to me by the time you reach the age of 16 , you are able to make that kind of decision . If they did have the right to vote the immature " stupid ones " (as some people call them) , would not even bother taking the time to vote , so that would leave the ones that actually care to vote , just because they know that theyre opinion matters.
Oh and its not because they cant vote that they cant make a difference and help change the laws were in the 21rst century pal anyone can make a difference ! beh where have you been ?
Oh my god I disagree with you but I got quite a kick out of that. xD
having sex?
i doubt theres a legal age for that haha
where i live we have to be 18 to buy lottery tickets
if at the age of 16 u r capable of smoking,buying lottery tickets, having sex then why waiting for 18 to get married? just get married at the age 16...
I agree with you it doesn't matter what age you are of your at least a tean children are a diffrent story but, if they can't handle it they don't have to vote
No, teens should worry about voting, its THERE future were talking about!
i agree their crazy
* Their :)
Some would like to vote. some aren't fantasizing about playing for England or being a pop star. Me for example.I am 14 but i can make rational decisions and recommended my mum to vote for a party i cant remember at the last election, we want to have more control instead of adults treating us like childish babys who cant make a sensible decision of their own. BRING ON VOTING AT 16!!!!! We can take the vote ): | !!!!!
While you're too busy reading Pride and Prejudice... hhmmm...
You probably don't even know what that means. Being "mature" has nothing to do with knowing that word. But that person was wrong for saying that.
It isn't an ad hominem attack - it's a fact. Oh, and for the ones who are 16+ or even 18+ and don't know what ad hominem means (99%), it basically means opinions/emotions and not facts/logical.
Also, where's the statistics and hard core proof/evidence that shows 18+ are more mature? Surely you can't learn so much about political life in the space of 2 years - unless it's you?
Okay, so you say that you are more intelligent ... but why are you not able to see or understand that what so ever "teen" you see around you who seem to be unintelligent, might be just 10th of 100th of teen in the world ... and in this fast growing economy, soon teen would be more knowledgeable then many adults (btw teen are also going to be adults some day ... but for that starting to vote a bit early will put in some more thinking to what or who they are voting for ...) :) yea ... that's all ...
Well kids who want to vote are usually smart other than the kids who want to mess around also I think there should be a test that teens should take about modern politics then be aloud to vote. I'm hoping some one replies. I am only thirteen so I don't know more than most of you put i's just a thought.
there not always intelligent so that could be wrong
wait a second you say that peopel that are 1 are smart but people at the age of 18 are dumb and have poor choice. that is not reasonable because news for you people who are 16 grow up to be 18, so on heir birthday they magicaly turn bad WHAT?????!?!?!?!
he didn't explicitly say that - and if you are speaking about turning 18 - you were once 16
Well, I ABSOLUTELY do NNNOOOTTT agree! No offence, but 16 year olds are SSSSSSOOOOOOOOOO not ready to vote! Although I'm homeschooled, I can guarentee I know a LOT more irresponsible 16 year olds than 18 and up. That was a REALLY sorry excuse!!!! You sound like a really intelligent guy that doesn't know WHAT the heck he's talking about!!!!!!!!!! You could have at least thought of a better one than THAT!!!!!!! 16 year olds have enough problems! They don't need to mess up our government even more than it already is! (If that's even POSSIBLE!!!!!!) They are too young and too nieve to vote for the true and deserving candidate!!!!! Ya! I went there!!!!!! :):):):) (">
i also use to be a home schooller and i agree that not every 16 year old is ready but most are!!!!!!!!
I think it can be 13+ because we are not aloud to drink and we arent closed-minded like some adults that only care about their jobs and money. They hire a nanny to their jobs a mother or father. So i think we can be able to vote. Oh and we dont care about the money the politicians will give us to vote for them.
Well i think by the age of at least 16 you know about whats going on in the world around you!
I say yes, if the kid is 16+ and can pass a test proving he knows about what is going on in polotics and the electees views on things :)
sorry... but that is straight against the constitution so that is a terrible counter argument.
I say YES like everyone else so far... You would know what your talking about at that age and more votes count when there is an election
i say no because the adults have earned the right to vote and we have to wait or turn like they had to do.
I agree with the anonymos we should have to wait for our turn man thats the right way is waitin like they did
there's always a first...
Why wait, if lives are affected NOW?
Waiting for our turn? Adults haven't "earned" anything, they've simply sat around and waited. Just because something was done in the past doesn't mean it's the right way to go.
Our voices should be heard now. The youth of this country is not represented.
Until you start paying taxes and have become a successful, productive member of society, than you deserve nothing.
I can understand teens that are currently in the work force -full time... Especially to those minors who are emancipated and working full time.
Teens are not well-equipped in the housing market, nor do they know much about taxes and/ or capital gains. Most teens I come in contact with have no interests in personal budgeting or care much for a crash course in consumer 101. What makes you think one teenager, potentially "mature" enough to vote will sell to the American public that "all teens are ready to vote."? That's a very inactivate generalization.
I have children and they only parrot what their teachers say. There is no rational logic behind their crazy/ out-of-touch ideology. Teens are minors. You can be a child for years after your 18th birthday... And still know bogong related to politics. As many have already said, lots of adults are politically illiterate. But at the same time, those of age have obtained their citizenship, individually. (Becoming 18).
Minors are not even considered citizens of the U.S. until they have lived in country for 5 years after their 13th birthday----> which is why our voting age or age of legal consent is 18.
Sorry... But experience on planet earth happens to make a large difference. So does education. But for the most part, people learn through trial and error.
The question should not be "why can't teens vote." The question teens need to ponder, is: "Of what substance does a teen or teens possess that SHOULD allow teens to vote if they are still under the protection of their parents?"
Teens don't pay property taxes. Even emancipated minors cannot pay taxes. Instead, they are given subsidies. I wonder if the average teen knows anything regarding subsidies and fiscal responsibility? What do teens know about government regulations on private enterprise or deficits?? Do they even know the difference between deficits and debts??
Perhaps when teens start residing in homes that they have bought, are well-insured concerning their assets and investments, then they'll be eligible to vote.
This is a very childish point of view. Just because you had to wait, doesn't mean that you've earned some kind of right. It doesn't mean that others have to wait just because you did. It's incompentent people such as yourself that we're already allowing to vote, why not let some informed teens do the same thing?
Adults did not earn their right to vote, they simply grew into it. If teens really fought to vote at the age of 16 that would be considered earning their right to vote.
im not sure about that!
we all wish that at the age of 16 people would know what is going on around them and hopefully they are mature enough to vote, but lets be serious, even some 18+ people don't even know whats going on in the world and aren't mature enough to vote...so why should we pretend that 16yr olds are?
it's one thing to know about voting, to know you have the right to vote and to know how to vote...it's another totally different thing to know what you are voting for...
you are 16, you are in your own world no matter how much you pretend to be worldy....same can even be said at 18...so no you should not be able to vote just because you are 16 and know about voting....if it is really important to you, you can wait the 2yrs....if you can't wait, doesn't that just reestablish the immaturity factor?
think about it though, are you willing to give power of the future to 16yr olds? then what about 14yr olds, how about 12yr olds...how about the little 2-3yr olds that chanted obama because their parents chanted obama to them? should they be able to vote because they get excited that their parents are excited about something...do they really know what they are voting for?
Some how we have arrived at this notion that adults know everything about politics and age indicates maturity. Most people regardless of age seem to lean toward their parent's political views. There's this redundant saying about children being the future, yet they can't decide it. More than 10,000 adults without a high school diploma got to vote in the last election. We currently study the roots of our political parties and government in school.
In essence when you look at it, it's blatant ageism. We spend over forty percent of this country's budget on medicare and other senior programs, yet we have under funded failing school systems. Teens are put in adult situations, then treated like children. Do adults always really know what they're voting for? Was it a child who claimed at a McCain rally that Obama was an arab? Was it the nearsightedness of children that caused the wall street crisis? Yes, Teens are still developing their frontal lobes, but it doesn't make them completely incapable to make decisions. Adults trust teens with their lives on the road, yet not with the future of the county the teens will run rather soon. Maybe if teens were treated like adults instead of children, they'd start acting like adults.
Haha.thanks for the info.
its in our debate.
for me too.
i dont want to vote because i dont know who the right person to vote.
im too young.
ill just wait for the time to me to be 19.
thanks so much.
i think they should be aloud to vote
allowed
***Cant Stop M3 3ven If U Stop M3***
As a teen i believe 16 is the age because they can take taxes and we are able to drive so there one taking are money and two puttind us on the rode which is very dangrous....
so and to put it on topic the reason i say that is if a kid really wants life as fair as iit gets he will go and vote and not jus cause hes black or cause hes young but because hes going to lower taxes and he has a good health care
I think 16+ should be able to vote because i know alot of 16 year olds that are smart and know there surrondings and even have to deal with high gas prices and other issues.
No I think 12 and up should earn the right to vote. Because Politics dont juzz affect ADULTZ they AFFECT EVERYONE. Kids could make education stricter and make u stay in school longer. And my last reason iz Kidz and Adultz have different OPINIONZ. If kidz could vote az early az 12 and up maybe it'd bring better!!!
12? That's way too young. 18 is an okay age, 15 would be better. Like some are saying, some 15 year olds are very intelligent, and know exactly what they're talking about. But 12 is way to young. I highly doubt there's a 12 year old that knows alot about voting. And if they do, they won't make good choices with the right to vote. They'll more than likely abue\se the right to vote at that age. But I think lowering the age to 16 is more than an okay choice.
Bet you won't say that if you were 12...
they are mature enough to vote and take it seroulsly.
I go for yes like everyone else.
That's a tough one. At 16 you probably have a job so you are paying taxes - one reason I would say yes. You are also in school, hopefully being taught about history and our current issues and provided enough information to make an informed decision. So, another one for yes. However, at that age I am just not convinced you are mature enough to make such decisions. When I was in high school we had a mock election. I have to admit, I did not know all the details of the person I cast my vote for. I think I voted based on their high level beliefs and what other people thought or what was cool. Not a very good way to vote.
I say that teens should be able to vote at 16+ because they are mature enough
i think teens should have the rite to vote @ the age of 16 because you do have some teens that are mature @ that age so dats why i think so and because you have to trust in everyone cuz alot of people have a lot of things to say on the way they feel about voting so teens should have the rite vote just lyk adults and you know we have many intelligent teens so that would be good and dats why i think we should lower our voting age to 16
Teens are more passionate about politics than any other age group!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And how old is Obama...? The Prime Minister...? The Queen...?
i dont think that teens should have the right to vote because not all teens are mature enough to pick the countrys leader until they are 25 or up. and i have learned that from perrsoonal expeirences.
And neither are all 25+ year olds...
I don't think teens should vote because they are not grown up and they probably don't everything they are saying so that is why.
but some 18 year olds dont either, most 16 year olds actually know about politics , please dont stereotype :)
They should not be allowed to vote because, as a 16 year old, we are all kind of dumb but think we know a lot about politics. The truth of it is that we know absolutely nothing important and are extremely influenced by the media, which can easily control our minds.
why cant we vote we have rights just as much as you do its nots fair not fiar at all
Lol... actually, we don't have the same rights as adults.
And life isn't fair.
That's why we're having this debate - to make life fair.
Dnt generalise it - jst admit ur speakin 4 urself
i myself am a teenager so i have lots of friends that are teenagers. i am still in highschool and am a senior and also go to a community college i see how alot of these teeneagers and even adults that have the right to vote act and make their decisions, and someitmes i cant believe that many of them in just a few months will be able to vote and have major control over the future of this country. i hope we dont destroy it. there are too many aspects and things that we dont understand and they just go off initial feelings, not what will averall benefit everybody.
I AM A TEENAGER!! I myself don't think we should be aloud to vote before 18! We dont know EVERYTHING about politic; sure we learn some stuff at school but we dont know all there is to know. We tend on voting for the people that we think has a better sence of humour, a better personality or that we think is more "cool", and that is really not the right reason to chose.
Plus, at are age we should not be worried about who will be the next president. We should be able to wait untill were old enough!!! we will have plenty of time to vote as were older, so why try to bring the voting age lower?
I AM A TEENAGER ALSO! just because you don't know anything about politics doesn't mean other teens don't know anything either. teenagers under the age of 18 knows exactly what is going on. all the teenagers except you and any other teenager that disagree with this shouldn't be allowed to vote
Also, you don't have to know everything about politics - as long as the important facts are understood.
Hey, I just think that if you're going to try and make a proper argument against lowering the voting age to 16, etc., then at least you should make sure that spelling and grammar mistakes aren't included as well.
And in regards to your points, I'd just like to say that a lot of adults also are uneducated about politics, and are still voting based on history, or family, and are influenced by friends.
It's not like once we're 18, we'll all magically be able to think purely based on which person will be the best president, etc. There's a lot more that goes into who we vote for than just age - past experiences, childhood, friends, and ethnicity.
18 is not the "magical number" when we suddenly have the ability to vote responsibly; it's something that comes with experience.
There are plenty of 16 year-olds out there that ARE responsible, and end up paying taxes because they work and such. Yet, they don't have a say in how much tax is paid because they don't have a vote!
Voter apathy is only due to the fact that our issues aren't being represented, and we begin to believe that our government doesn't care about what we think.
So yes, I believe that the voter age should be lowered to the age of 16.
i deffinitly agree with you a 100%. I am 17 and i dont think that kids 16 years of age should be aloud to vote. i mean yeah i know you guys learn about history and voting and all that in highschool and everything but you have to think..Is that really enough for u to vote??..to be honest i dont think so. I dont even think that i shuld vote yet! I think that its good that we have to wait because then as years go on and as things keep changing we learn and comprehend things alottttt better then if we jus learnd a little bit of it and then jus voted on the little amount tht u know. n 2 years of difference isnt even tht big of wait so i jus say wait for those 2 years and use tht time as being able to learn and understand everything alot clearer and better. and some of u said tht u guys may be smart enough to vote but in reality ur still too young and jus not ready to vote on something tht deals with every1s future. i mean yeah u shuld b able to decide ur own future and everything but not tht young when u dont know enough and rnt as clear with everything then if u were older and not with something tht deals with changing everyyyyy1s future not jus urs...
I do believe that 16+ teens should be extended the right to vote. At the age of 15 and 16, you are elligable for a job, and thus are forced to pay taxes. Now for you to say that those teens should be forced to pay taxes but yet are not allowed to vote for representation in Congress is completely upsurd. No taxation without representation dates back to the very beginning of our great country. We split from England and founded a whole other country based on our complaint that we were not represented in Parliment. We are being extremely hypocritical to say that that same idea should not apply to teens!
is this in the U.S or Canada??
I'm guessing they are talking about the U.S.
Everyone pays taxes.... I'm 14 and not yet eligible for a job, but I still pay tax... it's called SALES TAX. And I bought a stock and had to pay tax when I sold it... does that mean I should be able to vote as well? NO. We're doing a debate about this at school, and a lot of the arguments on this website just convinced me that teenagers shouldn't be able to vote. The only arguments on this site are "teenagers pay tax" and "we're mature enough". Like I said, everyone pays tax, and maturity is all a matter of opinion. There are plenty of adults who can vote and might be "immature".
You bought a stock. That was your choice. One you didn't exactly have to make.
When you get a job, it isn't always your choice. Sometimes you require a job for money. So the taxes are unavoidable.
I am 15, but I think the youngest anyone should be allowed to vote is 16. I know plenty of 16 year olds who know what they are talking about. A smart idea would maybe be to make it sort of like getting your drivers license maybe. You have to pass a test and then maybe they would give you a license to vote.
Why would that convince you otherwise? The people who are talking could be any age. Adults could be saying this stuff, and you wouldn't really know. :) I don't think it has convinced me other, though the spelling had me for a while, but I guess it is your knowledge on the topic that you're voting on that matters. Would the teens have time to listen to this stuff? Would they be able to handle it? Would they just carelessly vote? None of this has convinced me in any way. I am set in what I have observed and researched before now. That leads me to believe 16 is the youngest that should be allowed, maybe 17 even.
I'm 14.
A lot of the comments on this site made me kind of sad... the immaturity of it all. If you want to be taken as mature, you shouldn't be saying, "lol im realyyyyyy matur3! srsly i shuld vote :DDDDD"
I feel that I know what is going on in the world and could make an informed decision. My opinions are different than my parents - they don't influence my political stance in any way.
Me, personally - I'm interested in politics and such things. The things that are going on in this country either affect me now, or will affect me soon. I might be living in this "bubble" under my parents, and in school, but it isn't like that forever, and it's not like that for everyone.
If I had the right to vote, I would run out to the polls right now. Restricting such a basic right (especially to 16 and 17 year olds) to willing and able youth just because they haven't reached the magic number of 18 yet feels like discrimination to me. I know that it won't last forever. I know eventually I'll be an adult - but the view that people have that all teenagers are so immature and self-centered, that they care nothing about the world around them, is a bit sad.
I plan on researching this topic further. I would love the see the voting age lowered to 17. Teens are citizens too, and they're capable of deciding for themselves on issues that affect them.
66% more people can name the three stooges, as opposed to three Supreme Court Justices.
I think that teenagers under 18 should`t be allowed to vote, because they have no reason of what they are talking about at the moment of voting, and i`m agree with some of you thatthey won`t be worried about who is going to be president, as they don`t care.
Thanks for you information ! I`m doing debate at my school with this motion.
kids thirteen and up should be able to vote because we have some good stuff to say about who is running our country
really?? lol sure people 16 plus have the right mind to vote but 13 plus our country would be run by the teletubbies
kids under 18 should they no more than you think. We should beable to
yo. look sorry but i think we should be allowed to vote. i mean we have voices and we DO care. the only reason some teens dont is because they havent been taught about it. i'm doin this at school too and like everyone cares about politics so it should be lowered to AT LEAST 16
Yeah, okay some teens below the age of 18 do care, but there are PLENTY of kids that really don't care at all. 18 is a good age to start voting because you start college and you are on your own. A majority of kids below the age 18 aren't living on their own. Politics and voting is the last thing on some of the minds of high school students for the majority!
yes teens should be able to vote because we also have great opinions on who should be our president. Like President Barack Obama:)
yeah, i do think that teens from the age of 16 should participate in their natoinal elections so as to voice their opinions.
at my school im doing a debate which is if 15 year olds should be able to vote and i have this so far and btw im for:
I think that 15 year olds should be able to vote because they are at the right age to make decisions about how they want their country to be run and the person its run by. Also they should because if they can get a job a fifteen then they should be able to vote.
I think they should be alowed to vote because we are being tawt in school what its all about and polititions etc...so it would be highly unfair if we were not alowed well it is unfair because were not!! should be changed....as it is optional if at the right age group you want to vote n tbh most 15+ do like to vote.
i think teenagers should be able to vote and have many opportunities as an adult has.
Last friday while I was in PE, I saw an entire group of freshmen screwing around. They were being completely immature and stupid and just plain annoying. I realized, I did not want them voting for the leader of my country.
Teens aren't mature enough to vote. Also we haven't made up our minds yet. Everyday we are influenced by other adults, by our parents, our teachers, by their beliefs. Most of my friends follow the same political beliefs of my history teacher because everyday he yells them at us.
We haven't formed our own ideas yet, we aren't mature enough to make that much of an important decision. Of course some teens are mature and responsible enough to vote, but still.
We can't drink, we can't enlist, we aren't even considered adults. Why should we be able to vote on the President?
Also, I want to point out that all the other comments on here saying "Yes!! We should be able to vote!" have a significant amount of spelling and grammatical errors. Really? You want to vote and you can't even spell 'political'?
No. The age of suffrage in this country is 18. That's when you legally become an adult, and that's when you should be able to vote. The line needs to be drawn somewhere and the age where one is legally an adult is a good place for it. As a 17 year old, I'm fully willing to admit that I am not always as smart as I think I am, and even though I hold a job and pay taxes, I don't think I should be able to vote before I'm 18.
Also, going to school and studying U.S. History DOES NOT at all qualify you as "educated" about politics.
But your country is democratic, is it not ? How can you say that 16-17 year olds who pay tax and work to help the society should not vote?
I mean then why are you helping if you are not getting what you want?
Also, not every adult who vote are mature. I mean i saw many adults who are not mature and only vote because of family or friend influences.
I'm a 16 year old and i deffinetely want to vote as i believe in the society that i help to make. So why can't i have my voice heard and get something back?
why would the u.s only count half of the votes and 80% of 16 year olds work and have no say about the taxes that come out of there paycheck =)
The question is a difficult one, although my answer is a definite yes. I'll explain; the difficulty is that other than theory and speculation, although perhaps well thought out and highly probable, the full extent of the decision is not available. We unfortunately can't know if it is a positive change, however, it holds true to the cliche, there's only one way to find out! And I notice a popular argument is "we had to wait, so do you", in some cases that builds character and appreciation, but if it were true in this case the enormous amount of people not voting would have to vote us down, so go ahead if you truly believe so, but just because it's the way it is (right now) does not mean it's the way it should be.
As for why I agree that we should, it's because of a few reasons:
1. Who votes now?
An astoundingly low percent of the population (mostly seniors), and this should not be the case, because they want what's in the best view for them, meaning a low percentage of the people are actually represented by their own choice. Seniors vote, so they are highly represented (again, an astoundingly low percent of the population).
2. If we had the vote what would we change?
What do all people who vote, vote for? What is important to them; minimum wage, the school systems, taxation without representation, external affairs issues, media rights, etc. Do these look like important enough topics?
3. Would it be beneficial to society?
In my opinion yes! Many people don't vote because they don't feel they have a voice, if they had a voice earlier on they would most likely take that right seriously, get informed and vote, hopefully doing so in the future as a continuing trend. Governments conform to their voting parties, if we vote we become that and soon the government parties are looking at issues all over the age spectrum.
I'm 17, I will have the vote soon, but I want to change the world today and I wish I could have yesterday.
I know there are many unraised concerns (like the influence of adults and immaturity) so please question me on them and I will try to counterpoint accordingly.
teenagers shoud not vote
age is but a number! age has nothing to do with maturity inless ur like 2. there r 50 year olds out there in the world that r still not mature! i say when u feel u r mature enough and know enough about politics and the people running then u should vote.
I completely agree, but it has nothing to do with maturity or knowledge (because the government is already allowing immature, unknowledgeable people to vote), in this case case it's justice and rights.
i think that if at 16 you can go and fight for your country and die for it then why shouldn't you have any say in how it's run
No way, voting age should be minimum 21 and then only if you are a tax payer (sales tax does not count). If you contribute nothing in to a system why should you have any influence on it.
I think teens over 16 should be able to vote .. theres alot of teenagers that are mature, and some who arn't. But the immature teenagers are the only one's being judged. There are also alot of mature teens that go to school all the time and know all the information they need to make a good desision. I know you could just wait a couple years but the 16 year olds now, they want to help deside the future also. because sooner or later there going to end up adults to .
age 15 here--
well then fellow Americans i belielive i should ask you "mature" adults exactly one thing: If we are Americans, of which people fought hard to have the rights and freedoms to vote, should not we, the younger generations, have the right to vote towards our own future? if so, then why force us to wait a few years when we can make a diference today? if not, then what rights did our forefathers fight for when the wrote up the declaration of independance? for only people 5ft 6 in to ride the roller coaster? no, but for every American to have "certain unalienable rights" (quote from the constitution).
so now fellow Americans i leave this message for you all to read, and decide: should teens be allowed to vote for your future and our own future?
I would say that ages 16 & up should be able to vote because if we are allowed to have a job, have taxes deducted off our paycheck, go jail for doing something illegal, or even get our license then why shouldn't we vote?! The mature 16 years old will go and vote if they care those that don't want to..DON'T Have too..then you will see how important voting is to some 16 year olds!! That's just my opinion at age 17....
I think that 13 and up should be able to vote! I think this because I am 13 and a lot of people I know my age think that we should be able to vote because we need to show our opinion too! It's stupid that we don't get to show our opinion even though we know a lot more about politics from talking about it in school! This is a huge argument happening when most people think yes! Thats why they should bring it to the government and be serious with it! And maybe they will take it seriously!
Yes. They should.
Most teens are completely mature enough to choose a candidate who they think would have a positive influence on their town/state/country. Many, many, many teenagers are interested in politics and the world.
We let adults vote, even if they are adults who don't know who the vice-president is, who can't locate a country on the map, and who don't know that the capital of the USA is Washington, D.C.
Why discriminate against intelligent, capable teenagers, just because they haven't been around the sun 18 times yet?
We pay taxes. We drive. We hold jobs. We're educated, intelligent people. There is no reason that we shouldn't have a say in the way our country is governed, when the decisions that will be made will affect us, too.
It isn't about me "just waiting a few more years." In the meantime, I have no consent in the way my taxes are being spent, in the laws that I have to follow.
I feel like some adults have the misconception that all teenagers are gangsters or immature bubbleheads who only care about how their hair looks. This isn't true, any more than all adults are such people.
I have my own views and opinions that are different from my parents. Many of my friends also have views that are much different from those of their parents. At the age of 16 or 17, we're no longer little children - we're individual, independent people.
I am a citizen of this country. I am concerned with the same issues everyone else is - economics, the environment, law, politics.
I know that if, right now, I had the chance to vote, I would get up and race to the polls, and so would many others. Adults have not "earned" the right to vote in any way. Just because they waited does not mean that it is a good idea to keep up this cycle.
Teenagers represent a large portion of this country, and yet, their voice isn't heard. How is this "by the people, for the people" when many of the people are excluded from the simple right to vote?
Don't call me immature because I am "too impatient" to wait a few more years. I deserve a say, like everyone else - not in two years, after the decisions of the election have already been made for me.
As teenagers, we should all be concerned with the world. I'm a teenager, and I want to vote.
. We have a lack of political knowledge. In elementary we may or may not learn some of it, but it’s only the basics of what you need to know. You don’t get deep into the topic and the next time you learn it is all the way in grade 10 in a course called civics. In civics you don’t learn a lot about voting and not enough about the government. All you learn is ‘what kinds of governments,’ Democracy and authority’, and ‘Rights and freedom of Canada.’ Also, even if you might learn something about voting, you only learn it for a few months which is not enough. We need more time to process it and know more about the topic. This takes a period of time which is why age 18 is perfect due to all the reasons stated. Im a teen myself and under 18 so i would know.
kids these days are more opinionated after all what is the big difference between a 17 year old or an 18 year old a 9 year old might have more of an idea about what's going on in the world then a 36 year old does voting shouldn't have to go with age
age dose not bring wisdom.
16 year olds should be able to vote after all they are living in a democratic country. I mean its just as their country as an adults. in this modern world most 16 year olds know know a lot more than 30 year olds as they were born in the 21st century !!!
Don't be stereo typical and think 16 year olds only mess around, some may do but others don't. Some, like myself, are really into politics and what is happening within their society and believe in one of the political parties and wants to vote for them. What is wrong with that?
Also, voting is optional. If some teenagers, just like adults, don't want to vote they don't have to because it is a democratic country!
And i believe that 16 year olds know what is right and wrong, know the differences and should be able to make their own choices. So habing 16+ voting is being democratic and also having their voices heard, just like an adult :)
YES WE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO VOTE!!!! ITS OUR FUTURE NOT THEIRS!!! I think the starting age should be 16+! EVERYTHING THEY DO EFFECTS US NOT THEM! So tell my why should my school be loosing funds to go to the government to help with new health care? WE NEED OUR VOICES HEARD!!! I SAY WE ALL DEMAND IT! NOT SIT AROUND ANY MORE! WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PICK WHOSE RIGHT FOR OUR GENERATION NOT THE ONE BEFORE US!!!! LETS TELL EVERYONE TO SAY "IT'S
OUR
FUTURE,
NOT
THEIRS!!!"
this might sound stupid.....but im naive hehe. what does voting have to do with their future
I'm 17 years old, and I'm going to be competing in a debate focusing on this topic. The comments here have helped me get a better grasp on what the average person thinks about this topic. I firmly believe that teenagers should be allowed to vote. As stated many times before on this page, it affects our future, we have jobs, pay taxes, and a lot of us know politics better than most adults I know.
The teenagers that want to vote, generally have an interest in politics, and want to learn about them. No, not all teenagers are mature enough to vote, but I believe that any teenager that wants to vote, will be well informed.
What everybody here seems to be forgetting is that those over 18 often don't care, don't vote, are immature, and make bad decisions regarding the country's future. There are just as many stupid 16 year olds as there are stupid 60 year olds.
I'm a teen and i believe we have to earn the right to vote. Generations before us have waited to vote, grandparents, parents... Why should any exceptions be made for us to have the right to vote! Think about it, before you coment!
I think that 16 year olds should be allowed to vote because if you think about it in theory the kids that are good will vote and so will the not so good kids. But, in reality the kids that aren't exactly the most extraordinary won't bother going at all.
16 is old enough to vote! People say that teens are not responsible enough to vote but its the youths future their talking about so why not let the youths have a say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hell no. Adults have trouble know who and what they're voting for; would a 16 year old know any better?
Honestly. I've seen comments on here from "adults" that are talking down younger people. If you know SO much like your trying to say, why is it that you can't spell simple words? Your telling us one thing, and doing it yourself. You dont know who we are or anyting about us. You are juding all teens by the bad ones. Ones that go to Jail or do drugs, not ALL teens are like that. Some of us actually know a lot, some of us actually like learning about the Goverment and our country. Do not sit there and bad mouth all teens when you know absolutely nothing about us.
There are some teens out there that should not vote, but just because their screw ups that means the rest of us are?
If your an adult, act like one.
Thank You.
no
yes
Have we yet considered the possibility that if teenagers were given the right to vote, they would, for the most part, simply ignore it until it directly affects them, like many 18+ voters do?
Well, what I have to say about all this to al the people that are making bad comments about us teens your wrong, we have alot to bring to the world. I have this project in school that we have a research paper and we have to choose a topic to talk about and see if we are for or against it and guess what my topic is ,,,,, SHOULD THE VOTING AGE BE LOWERED TO 13 ? and guess who agreed and who's for it um me of course , and I'm going to be presenting it to show that we do have alot to show the world and that we can suprise them adults that are so shallow that think that we do take things seriously , so to the people who are not agreeing with the voting age being lowered go get yourself checked because I may be only 14 but, I may be way way smarter than a 21 year old or a 51 year old and I am very educated okay so THINK AGAIN AND IM TALKING TO THOSE ADULTS THAT HAVE NEGATIVE COMMENTS TO SAY ABOUT THIS ! Oh and one more thing this is the future so to all of you guys that think that adults had to wait their turn and we should too no no no no no don't get mad because your too old to not be in our place so if the voting age do get lowered some day remember this YOU WERE ALWAYS WRONG ABOUT US!
Of course they should, our founding fathers fought against taxation without representation. Teenagers pay taxes, so they should be able to vote. It is as simple as that. So, either don't tax teenagers or let them vote.
Teens should not be able to vote because they don't have the mental capacity. If they can't vote, than they shouldn't be tried as adults. Teens are tried as adults all over the states, yet give 9.7 billion dollars in taxes every year and don't get a say in who runs THEIR country. If teens can't vote, they shouldn't - EVER - be tried as adults in a court of law.
No, the amount of teens becoming disrepectful and uniformed is proposterous. Teens merely vote for the person that promises the best thing for them.
BTW-I am a teen too.
I agree. I am offended by stereotypes of teens being delinquent and disrespectful. I try every day to be the best type of person I can be. I don't understand how some people are teen-haters because weren't they teens at some point in time?
-A Fellow Middle-Schooler
16 year olds should be allowed to vote if they know the politics behind it. However, people aren't going through politics with these people. How is that going to work, exactly? It would help if older people agreed to help younger generations - do they want this country to suffer? Voting allows teenagers to gain experience and independence.
yes they should
Many citizens at the age of 16 are employed and earn wages. The government takes taxes out of each paycheck. It is only fair that those paying taxes should vote, or minor's should not have to pay taxes. It is unjust that the government takes money from our wages then we have no say as to where the money goes.
Most of 16-17 year olds are not mature enough and their minds are not yet ready for political issues or updates. Teenagers don't even watch news everyday or even once a week.
Yes,
Certain Teens should have the right to vote. You could set it up like this,
1. 16 years of age
2. Be apart/start a poltical club in your community
3. Pass a test
The test would be administered to the teen when they register to vote.(similar to the DMV test) Some teens have jobs and are taxed. NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! this was what our country was founded upon. If one thinks im going to give up my hard earned money so some person on welfare who uses the money irresponsibly, they should be giving me a voice. Sometimes the tax is taken from the teen other times its their parents. Im currently the chairman for my highschool republican club which is a charter off the Teenage Republicans club which contains a lot of members across the nation that are more literate about politics than a majority of adults. So my policy doesnt lower it for everyone just those that care enough to qualify for the privilge to vote earlier than their peers, in which case those that didnt register dont need to do so till they are 18.
Most adults in my area don't even vote. With the majority rule having a tad bit more people would help. On md the last local vote we had on 15% of the county voted. Intelligent or not people take voting for granted. On a lot of places people can't vote, they're forced by a dictator, China has an oligarchy 3 people telling 3 billion what to do. 200+ years ago we broke of Great Britain to be free and have a voice, amd people barely use it. Let more of us vote.
If teens are put on trial like adults because they acted and committed an adult crime, teen soldiers are fighting like adults, teens are giving 9.9 Billion dollars to the govenrment.... Shouldn't they have a say? About trials, wars, and money spending??
Just because some teens are stupid doesn't mean none of them should be allowed to vote. That's like banning driving because some people get drunk when they do it.
Absolutely not! Teens do not know a thing about politics and they will lead toward the democratic party! Before you know it, 7 year olds will vote and that would be a wreck! Some 18 year olds are still not mature enough to vote!
I really really think kids can be able to vote i think EVERY ONE should be able to vote!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really really think kids can be able to vote i think EVERY ONE should be able to vote!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, and it dosen't take much thought to figure this out. Teens watch and read all the same things their parents do and relly have their own opinions. People think we as teen will just vote for the same person our parents did. We as teens need to defend our human rights too! Once you get older eventualy you stop caring and just vote to vote. With fresh opions and new input things could really change in the political world. Not many adults even understand politics so they really can't talk about us and what we know. TEENS NEED TO VOTE (13-&up) GIVE US THE RIGHT TO!
I think that teens should be allowed to vote if they take a test that shows knowledge of politics and how the government works. The problem with America now a days is that we have uneducated people going to voting polls and voting for government positions solely on how they person looks or because of their race. This provides an unfair election. Teens are getting into drugs and dropping out of school earlier and earlier and if they can't provide and accurate description of how the government works why should they be allowed to vote?
Teenagers should be allowed to vote. A lot of teens would just vote on who their parents want. Who cares if they do though?
I think sixteen year old's should vote because they are eligible to do so and they already have jobs and able to drive so they should be able to vote and they also have bank accounts and money and some helps pay bills so they should vote they are almost adults so they should.
I am 12 and I know quite alot about polotics,but,as you can see,I'm not a good speller. I think it should be 14 years of age
Can anyone please list for me reasons to disagree about teenagers voting ??
I THINK IT IS A GREAT THING TO LET TEENS VOTE CAUSE THEN WE HAVE MORE RIGHTS TO DO THINKS
I think that teenagers should only be able to vote on matters that only concern them, such as the way many states are making the driver's licence age 18 instead of 16. Obviously, the 16- and 17-year-olds are affected a just as much as the 18-year-olds in this case, and they should be able to vote for or against those laws.
Teens can get a job at age 14-16 (depending on the state), and part of getting a job is taxation. So the government allows teens to work and be taxed, but not to vote, which means they are not represented in government. Taxation without representation.....didn't we start a revolution because of that same problem?
true!!!!!!! if we are going to work for the government we should be able to vote for who and what we want!!!!!!! WE ARE PEOPLE TO YOU KNOW!!!!!
I think we should vote at any age we want its a free country
Teenagers should have the right to vote because there are teens who are mature enough to cast a vote. You have to realize that a lot of young people don't vote when they become old enough because they don't care enough or because it doesn't mean anything to them so their thought is, "Why would I?" 18 year olds should be encouraged to vote because it's another vote for a party or candidate. I believe in order for someone to vote, they should have to have graduated high school and taken some government, which is already required to graduate in some schools. Think about it, at one point you were a new voter going out into the world of politics. Was there someone there to help you? Did you understand what your right to vote meant fully? Voting is a right, one that's been fought over for years for women and the youth. It would be wrong to take it away from them because they're considered to be lazy and not care enough. Make them productive; make them care.
teens should not vote because this will give them much more responsibility, some teens can't even do their homework on time, if they had to vote and listen to politics this will give them more stress then they already have.Even though their are teenagers who are well informed in politics Teens should also be out having fun, going out to parties and thinking about what they want to do in life not listening to speeches.
Children are still learning and history and law are fresh in our minds so we know who would be the better pick. I think the age should be 13 or 14
They should be allowed because they have a life to
I think a age 14 and up voting age is great. It will inflict a great responsibility to teens
It is scary to think that teenagers, whoes biggest concerns are what they will wear to school, would be able to vote. I do not think that they are aware enough of the things around them to be able to make decisions like that.
I say yes because its nothing really different from letting an adult vote. And there's really nothing to lose if a person is eligible to be on the ballet for presidency or governor etc. then they're obviously well educated enough to be on it. So there's really no right or wrong vote, only the vote itself determines if a person comes out victorious. And if the person we vote IS the wrong person then they can just be taken out (in a rather difficult way) and replaced with someone a bit more responsible. WIN WIN.
Teens should not be able to vote because at that age kids don't know enough about politics also there are a lot of immature teens. Voting is a majority of the people. and plus the majority will be different with teens also if a immature kid votes than they might just pick a random one and mess up the voting. Also parents might tell there kids to vote for someone and then it will be like a second vote for the parent. Those are my reasons that teens should not be able to vote.
Teens shouldnt be allowed to vote. They are not mature eniugh to handle the resposibilities of voting. They would pick random candidates as a joke. They are to worried about Kardashians to want to vote.
I think that teens should not be able to vote because at this age a teens frontal lobe is not fully developed. In this case teens could go by what they hear from other people or what they see. Teens can be easily influenced by Teachers, Parents, or even Campaigning politicians. I have done so much research on this topic and by what i have learned so far, I think at this age teens should not be able to vote.
Considering a lot of the constitutional acts will involve people under 18 (i.e. university fees, the nature of high school exams and such) it makes sense we are allowed to vote. We will be very much over 18 years in 5 years time till the next election and by then a lot of those 5 years will be under a government we may not be satisfied with. Furthermore, 16+ are expected to pay tax on any earnings... if we are old enough to pay tax surely we're old enough to decide who gets to handle them!
I think teens should vote, because teens are the future of America and are the ones who will be living in the world of the person who is in charge like Obama. We are the ones who should have a say because we too live in America. We too have opinions that can make our world a better place.
The only problem with that idea is that teenagers often make rash choices. What is popular isn't what will benefit everyone. Even as an adult I find it hard to make a proper choice when so many choices are being mixed together. Teenagers do vote at 18 and even at that age most chose not to vote. Voting is a right of passage due to age. Teenage voting should remain at the age of 18.
teens deserve the right to vote as they are living in the same world as everyone else, they also care deeply about how the country is being run and as the matters will include them they should deserve to have a say
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